AETHER BEASTS

The voice was melodic and echoed through the cavern. Instantly all four of us were on guard, and narrowed my eyes in direction of the voice, but frowned as I failed to see anything. The room was empty as far as I could tell, and the voice was coming from the direction of the chair, which was empty.

"Hello?" I called out.

"Well, you four are certainly energetic." The voice sounded amused. "There's no need for worry, I won't harm you, in fact, I've been watching you. You're here for the girl, Hope."

"You've seen her?" Misty asked, taking a step inside.

"Misty!" I hissed.

"What?" she replied. "She said she wouldn't hurt us, and she had information of Hope. Besides what stepping in going to do?"

"I can understand the caution, Aiden," The voice said. "But it is not needed, please step in so that you may be assured I have no desire to hurt you."

"Where are you?" Zirani asked with a frown. "I can't sense you."

"My dear dryad, it saddens me that you are unable to recognize my form of power." Sadness tinged the voice. "Please step in, and you will see me clearly."

There was something about the voice that eased me, but that in and of itself worried me since I couldn't be sure it wasn't some mind-alerting effect. There were beasts who used such things to lure in prey and then pounce.

"Screw this." Before anyone could stop her, Sandra walked through the threshold. She remained still for a moment, staring at the chair before she turned to us. "It's just a woman."

"Where?" I asked, unable to see anything.

"As I've said." The voice chuckled. "Step inside, and you will see me. The only reason you see the door is because I've allowed it but I cannot turn off the other enchantment so easily."

Seeing as Sandra looked fine, I decided to trust the voice and stepped into the room Misty and Zirani following behind me a moment later. I blinked in surprise as I saw the figure in the chair who definitely hadn't been there a moment ago. It was a young woman, dressed in a simple robe, with long glossy black hair and violet eyes that belied her age. They were similar to Zirani's eyes, though much older, and deeper than any set of eyes I'd ever seen, like bottomless pits.

"Now you see me." The woman smiled warmly. "Before you bombard me with questions allow me to introduce myself. I am Allana, wandering witch, and explorer. You are Aiden, Misty, Sandra, and Zirani. A group of many threads, woven together with bonds and love."

"How do you know us?" Zirani asked, taking a step forward.

"I have some skill with divination," Allana replied. "Something you might have once been able to do, before the calamity as you call it. I also have other ways of viewing the surrounding area."

"You said you'd seen Hope?" Misty asked, stepping forward as Zirani stood there her gaze locked onto Allana, confusion and something else in them.

Allana sighed. "I did. She was running from those beasts when I first spotted her. I offered her help and she took it, but she ran off soon after."

"You didn't stop her?" Sandra asked annoyed.

"I do not force anyone to do anything," Allana said in a frim voice brimming with something. "I offered her help and the moment I turned my back she ran off. I suspect she thought we were outside, but this."

She waved to the window. "Is just another part of the labyrinth,"

Misty sighed. "And here I thought we might get lucky. Do you know which way she went?"

"Misty, we have the tracker," I said, confused.

"No we don't." She winced. "At least not a working one. It stopped working the moment I stepped through the door. I can't even tell if she's dead or alive."

"I'm afraid you'll find that this broken piece of a world is not fully adapted to the labyrinth, or should I say assimilated?" Allana looked off in thought. "I'm still not sure. In any case, I can find her exact location if you wish."

"We do," I said. "And we'd be very grateful, we can pay."

Allana waved a hand. "You have nothing OF use to me unless you'd be willing to part with some of your blood, though I won't force you."

"My blood." I raised an eyebrow. "For what purpose?"

"For many things," she answered with a smile. "None harmful to you of course, but as I said I'm a witch and there are many things I could do with a drop of divine blood no matter how changed it is."

"Divine?" I'd never been described in that way before, but she said it with such surety that it made me wonder. Was that what my bloodline was, a divine power of some sort?

Suddenly, Zirani moved forward until she was only a few feet away from the woman. "What is this?'

Allana smiled. "It's a foreign form of energy your ancestors once used when they lived in their homeworld, a form of magical energy. As I said this piece is not yet assimilated, yes, let's use that word, into the labyrinth, and bits of ambient energy that aren't aether remain, and a piece of you long forgotten is trying to harness it, except it can't. You are a creature of aether now, not of magic, though if you returned long enough to a world ripe with potent magical energy or underwent a ritual then perhaps, but I do not think you want that."

"Magic?" I frowned. "Like in fantasy books?"

"In a way," Allana said. "Now, as much as I'd like to talk on such topics I should get to locating the girl. Who knows how long she will last if she still lives at all. In fact, Misty if you take a step outside your device should function once more. Be and dear and check if the girl still walks among the living."

Misty's eyes widened and she quickly ran out of the room.

I opened my mouth, a dozen questions on my tongue, but Allana held a hand up to spot me. "Another time. My spell may take some time as being in this piece hinders me in many ways. If you want to you can take that door and head up to my room to rest."

She pointed to a door in the corner that definitely hadn't been there earlier. I really wanted to ask some questions but I nodded instead and walked over to grasped Zirani's hand. My aether beast seemed to be in some sort of a daze and our bond was weaker than normal, as though something was causing problems.

"Come on Zirani." She allowed me to lead her to the door, though she kept glancing back at Allana who was rummaging through one of the shelves.

The door led into a short hallway, and to another door which led into a wide and well-furnished room with a single large bed, cupboard, and bedside table. It was pleasantly warm, and well lit despite the fact I could see no visible light source.

"Is she ok?" Sandra asked, motioning to Zirani who had walked over to the bed and laid down.

I shrugged. "She's not hurt, and you heard what Allana said. Somethings going on with her body."

"Magic huh?" Sandra shook her head. "It should say something about what we've been through that I'm not even that shocked. I mean everyone does say that the calamity brought creatures over from other worlds and that there are pieces of other worlds in the labyrinth."

"Yeah, but those are just stories." I took a seat on the bed. "This is real."

Just then Misty walked into the room, a relieved smile on her face. "She's still alive."

I sighed and my shoulders slumped. "Thank goodness. Does anyone else feel that?"

I hadn't noticed it earlier, but the ambient aether seemed weaker and there was definitely less of it, even than what was in the plains. Allana's words about this piece not being fully assimilated came to mind, and I considered the implications of them. Did that mean that this piece was new or that it took a long time for some pieces to assimilate? There was also the talk of other forms of power, besides aether.

I shook the thoughts away since they'd only raise more questions and I couldn't answer themselves or ask Allana.

"I think I'm going to get some sleep." I moved over to lay next to Zirani whose chest now rose and fell with the cadence of rest. Whatever had happened, had clearly tired her out.

"We'll wake you when Allana's done," Sandra said.

I snuggled up close to Zirani who leaned her head against my chest. I smiled and brushed a lock of hair from her face before I yawned and felt my eyes droop.. It wasn't long after that I fell asleep, a dozen questions and more fading from my mind.